architecture in chile features a range of projects, mostly coastal residences and buildings that have been integrated into the distinctive landscape to form well-crafted, sculptural spaces amidst the rocky and uneven topography.

situated on the chilean andes, in the comuna de san esteban, ‘mountaineer’s refuge’ by gonzalo iturriaga arquitectos is a small wooden cabin with a folded roof. designed as a point of arrival and departure for the mountaineer’s trek, the structure rests on piles, making it a self contained object suspended above the ground that results in a special place for contemplation and relaxation.

the mountaineer’s refuge by gonzalo iturriaga arquitectos rests on the chilean andes all images by federico cairoli

in order to create a relationship between the cabin and the landscape, gonzalo iturriaga arquitectos proposed a building that features a roof that uses folded planes and angles to create the entrance and exterior views. comprised of a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, the house also has a storage room for the mountaineering equipment and a sitting area that draws the eye towards the panoramic view.

ventilated on all sides, the ‘mountaineer’s refuge’ is the perfect place for hikers to start and end their hiking day.

the wooden cabin features floor-to-ceiling windows that allow spectacular views

a single lane pool is the perfect place for hikers to relax after a day in the mountains

the folded roof has cuts that allow for light and ventailation

triangle-shaped entrance

the geometry of the house results in spaces to relax

glass side of the cabin

the house has a total surface area of 60 square meters

the andes reflected on the glass connect the interior with the exterior

LOG IN

designboom's comment policy guidelines generally speaking, if we publish something, it's because we're genuinely interested in the subject. we hope you'll share this interest and if you know even more about it, please share! our goal in the discussion threads is to have good conversation and we prefer constructive opinions. we and our readers have fun with entertaining ones. designboom welcomes alerts about typos, incorrect names, and the like. the correction is at the discretion of the post editor and may not happen immediately.

what if you disagree with what we or another commenter has to say? let's hear it! but please understand that offensive, inappropriate, or just plain annoying comments may be deleted or shortened.

- please do not make racist, sexist, anti-semitic, homophobic or otherwise offensive comments. - please don't personally insult the writers or your fellow commenters. - please avoid using offensive words, replacing a few letters with asterisks is not a valid workaround. - please don't include your website or e-mail address in your comments for the purpose of self-promotion. - please respect jury verdicts and do not discuss offensively on the competition results (there is only one fist prize, and designboom usually asks renown professionals to help us to promote talent. in addition to the awarded designs, we do feel that almost all deserve our attention, that is why we publish the best 100-200 entries too.)

a link is allowed in comments as long as they add value in the form of information, images, humor, etc. (links to the front page of your personal blog or website are not okay). unwelcome links (to commercial products or services of others, offensive material etc. ) will be redacted. and, ... yes, spam gets banned. no, we do not post fake comments.

a diverse digital database that acts as a valuable guide in gaining insight and information about a product directly from the manufacturer, and serves as a rich reference point in developing a project or scheme.